A string of burglaries in the upscale Columbus neighborhood of Green Island Hills has law enforcement officials and residents both concerned and puzzled. Over a period of 10 days a burglar has stolen over $100,000 in goods from homes located in the neighborhood. Stolen items include silver mint julep cups, pitchers and other similar items.
Three homes in the neighborhood have been targeted so far, and in each instance, the thief appears to enter the home by removing a window panel or a portion of the door. By entering in this manner, it prevents from being sounded.
According to authorities, the thefts appear to be similar in nature to other ones that have recently occurred in metro Atlanta, including in the Buckhead area. Police have been searching for the culprit since the first homes were hit over two years ago, in April 2011.
One of the last break-ins to have occurred took place in the early morning hours, and the thief took over $45,000 in heirloom silverfrom the home. In one of the break-ins, it was reported that the thief entered the home in the overnight hours by removing some of the glass from a window. In one case, the thief was able to enter through the window without even breaking any of the glass. In another robbery in the same neighborhood, the thief appears to have entered an home.
The homes being targeted are not only located in gated communities, but are also reportedly equipped with the and motion sensors. According to Atlanta detective Andrew Bahry, it would appear that the thief is able to easily enter homes that have alarm systems because the residents don’t appear to be activating their motion detectors that are part of the security systems while inside their homes. This highlights the larger problem that are ineffective when they aren’t activated, and many residents fail to activate their systems when they are at home, although this can be very dangerous. Additionally, it sheds light on the increasing home security problem that occurs when residents fail to properly secure their home while they are present. As burglars become more bold, they are often entering homes even when residents are located inside, which can turn into a potentially dangerous situation for the resident.
“Obviously they weren’t amateurs; they didn’t appear to be amateurs,” resident Robert Poydasheff told an Atlanta area news station. “How they could remove a door without setting off the alarm is interesting. I would be amazed- I know we have screens in our home that, if you touch them, they will set off the alarm.”
The thefts seem to be spreading to surrounding states including Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee. In each case so far, the thief has only stolen heirloom silver.
Tim Eveler
Author & Public Relations – Tim has been working in sales for the home security system industry over twelve years. He’s held positions at large home security companies and in charge of working with the team to create our security system reviews.